An act of kindness that hits the heart
Friend of mine related a touching story last weekend that I thought would be a change from some of the heavy stuff we read on local Pprune.
He was washing his light twin that was parked `airside`next to the Berlin Wall type fence designed to keep out the great unwashed who love watching aeroplanes close up. He saw people watching him from a car parked up against the fence. It was a grandfather, his daughter and small boy about three.
My friend who was a former RAAF fighter pilot and now nearly 80, recalled the time when he was an eleven year old in the Sydney Air League and along with a bunch of other Air Leaguers were given a boat ride on Sydney Harbour to visit Rose Bay to see the flying boats. Their boat came alongside a Catalina flying boat that was being serviced and the children in their uniforms were invited aboard. One of the Catalina engineers lifted him up and put him in the captains seat.
There he was allowed to turn the control wheel and he watched as the ailerons moved up and down. He described that moment as the experience of his life and decided from then on he wanted to be a pilot when he grew up. Well, he didn't do too badly because ten years later he was flying Sabres and Meteors in the RAAF and later was awarded the Air Force Cross.
With that memory in mind, he walked to the fence and invited the grandad, daughter and little boy to come inside the anti-terrorist fence and see his flying machine close up - instead of behind a barrier. He then asked the young mother if her little boy would like to sit in the pilot's seat and wiggle the ailerons. The little child was so excited and wiggled the ailerons with a big smile. After photos were taken the mother thanked my friend, adding wistfully that she wished her daughter could have been there with them.
My friend said no problem, let me know when you are coming this way again and your daughter can have a go, too. The mother hesitated and looked at the little boy and said thank you so much for your kindness but our daughter has gone to live in heaven. She was just five years old when she died of an inoperable tumour..